“That’s my short-term aim. The long-term aim is obviously to be the first-choice left-back for 10 years to come and be one of the best left-backs that England has ever had. But that’s obviously in the back of my head.”

Chilwell is preparing to face Tottenham at the King Power Stadium on Saturday night with Leicester in the top half of the table and hoping to qualify for Europe again.

Ben Chilwell has played every minute for Leicester in the Premier League this season

But he admits it could have all been very different as he was once showed more potential at cricket than football.

“Maybe I was an even better cricketer than a footballer,” Chilwell added. “I was in the Northants academy set-up and went to Loughborough University for three days for an ECB young England Talents event.

“I was an all-rounder but more of a batsman, maybe a second choice bowler.

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“I started playing men’s cricket when I was 15. That’s when I stopped enjoying it. It was long days, 50-over games with men 15 years older who you don’t really have anything in common with, all talking about going to the pub.

“I was enjoying my football, even though it wasn’t really going well. That’s when I said to be dad, who as a New Zealander was very keen on me playing cricket, that I would choose football.”